


A Day in the Life

by Alona



Category: Dollhouse
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-21
Updated: 2010-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-13 22:56:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/142636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alona/pseuds/Alona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Adelle is greater than most people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Day in the Life

"Doesn't anyone read my reports?"

That Claire manages to say this for the umpteenth time as though it were a novelty is almost impressive.

Adelle spots a television screen through a window across the street and devotes a moment to determining what program it is showing. Not moving from her place at the window, she says, "No."

Claire tries and fails to suppress an outraged intake of breath. "But, Ms. DeWitt -- "

"Claire," Adelle says, injecting a tinge of laughter into her voice, "does my honesty mean nothing to you?" She turns around at last.

“No,” Claire echoes. “Your honesty isn’t going to make Sierra’s sprained ankle heal any faster. If you’d read my report, you would have known that it was injured, and -- “

“Would in all likelihood still have sent her on this engagement, because it was _a child’s birthday party._ ”

“You don’t have much experience with kids.”

“Whether I do or do not is irrelevant.”

“Someone should be reading those reports,” Claire insists.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Adelle sighs, mastering the urge to roll her eyes. “Why don’t you go intimidate Topher into doing it?”

“That isn’t a half bad idea,” Claire allows.

 

“With all due respect, ma’am -- “

“Oh, really,” Adelle mouths, watching Dominic impassively.

“ -- I would advise against sending Echo on this engagement.”

“And why would that be?”

“She’ll be in Washington, ma’am. One small glitch there, and this will all come crashing down on us.”

“Which is precisely why I am sending Echo. This conversation is over.”

“This is a mistake,” Dominic begins. Adelle stands and reaches across her desk to hook her fingers under his tie. She yanks forward, forcing him to abandon his impeccable posture. He doesn’t resist. Neither of them doubts that he could overpower her, but it would be a worthless victory.

When their eyes are level, less than a foot apart, Adelle says, her voice quiet and icy, “This organization runs smoothly because everyone is allowed to do the job to which they are best suited. I don’t tell you how to do your job, and I would appreciate not being told how to do mine, is that understood, Mr. Dominic?”

After a few false starts, he says, “Perfectly, Ms. DeWitt.”

She releases him abruptly, leaving him to scramble for his balance.

All charm now, she says, “Now, please send Mr. Langton in to see me.”

 

“I can’t believe you’re sending her out again so soon.”

“Allow me to spare you the trouble. Mr. Dominic attempted to have this same conversation, albeit from a different angle, moments ago. I don’t think you want to have anything in common with him.”

“Well,” Boyd says with a defeated chuckle. “You’ve got me.”

“Sit down, Mr. Langton. Let’s catch up.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“It’s been a long day, and it’s only going to get longer. How is Echo?”

“Nothing I say will change your mind.”

“Not one bit,” Adelle agrees, smiling.

Boyd sits on the couch usually intended for clients. “She seems all right. The same as ever, at least, and that’s as much as we can expect.”

“Then why are you worried?”

“I don’t know,” Boyd admits. “It just doesn’t seem right.”

“You’re merely looking at it from the wrong perspective.”

“Am I?” He looks amused at this. “And do you always look at it from the right one, whatever that is, Ms. DeWitt?”

“I recognize that we have a mission to carry out and a reputation to uphold, Mr. Langton, and my occasional lapses of vision are of no importance.”

Boyd just shakes his head.

 

“Did you really tell the Doc to make my life miserable over those _adorable_ little reports of hers?”

“Topher, do stop whining,” Adelle sighs, utterly bored.

“You did! I can’t believe it! Have you ever looked at one of those things? They go on forever, and they’re just dripping with righteous indignation and judgments and -- and -- “ He gesticulates wildly, seeking the appropriate word. “ -- _feelings_.”

“I never said you had to read them.”

“What?”

“Not at all. I merely suggested to Dr. Saunders that you would be more susceptible than myself to her coercive methods.”

Topher squints at her suspiciously. “I’m not really sure what you mean by that, but I’m pretty sure I don’t like it.”

Smirking, Adelle observes, “For someone who’s so dismissive of _feelings_ , you seem to expect me to consider your own very seriously.”

“That’s -- different,” Topher mutters.

“Oh?”

“I, uh. I’ll get back to work now, Ms. DeWitt.” Already at the door, he adds, “Sorry.”

“Apology accepted,” Adelle says indulgently. “Oh, and Topher?”

“Hm?”

“Say something exceptionally rude to Mr. Dominic for me when you see him.”

“Can do.”

 

When it’s time for the imprinting, Adelle decides to find Echo herself. She has seen a handful of potential clients, only one of them successful in spite of her best efforts, and a dip into the simplicity of the Actives’ limited world looks attractive now.

“What did you do today, Echo?” she asks as they make their way to the lab.

“I ran on the treadmill,” Echo says, “and I painted a picture. Sierra was there, too.”

“I see,” Adelle says. “That sounds pleasant.”

“It’s pleasant to be with friends,” Echo agrees.

Adelle is always forgetting that she has no facility for this. Claire excels at speaking to the Actives. Even Topher is competent in his way, if only because it’s all the same to him. But their vapid tones and shallow emotions irritate Adelle, they try her patience, they force her mind to overlay the memory of the vivid, desperate person who once inhabited each of those bodies.

“Are you sad?” Echo asks.

“Sad?” Adelle repeats, taken aback. “No. Look, here we are now.”

Echo grants her a final wide-eyed stare. Then the doors swing shut behind her, leaving Adelle with her thoughts and worries and petty victories.


End file.
